I have always been an advocate for DIY CO2. I like the fact that I can stock up my CO2 ingredients and make CO2 immediately.
There are a lot of people still with the old perception that DIY CO2 is for the amateurs. They still have the idea that DIY CO2 is in soda soft drinks bottles.
Well, enough said. Pictures speak for themselves.
75 Gallon
This has got to be a tough one for DIY CO2 users. 75 gallons is a lot of water to inject CO2.
Before I was running 24/7 CO2 I used to run 4~6 bps using a CO2 reactor. Then I experimented with running 24/7 fine mist atomizer (similar to the NIlocG Aquatics Atomic Precision Co2 Atomizer) and a reduced light intensity.
Tank Setup
Filters: 1x Fluval 306, 1x Fluval C2
Lighting: Fluval AquaSky LED
Air pump: Aquael
Substrate: ADA Amazonia
CO2: DIY CO2 with High Pressure Canister
CO2 Injection Rate: 2 bps 24 hours non-stop
CO2 Diffusion methods: Intense Bazooka Atomizer 70mm
Dosing regime: Custom Seachem Dosing Regime
Ferts: Seachem Flourish Nitrogen/Potassium/Phosphorous/Iron/Comprehensive
Primary filter: Fluval 306 external canister filter
I like the Fluval X06 series of canister filters. I find that Fluval put in considerable effort to exterior design, making it not just a canister to hide in the cabinet. I do not use cabinet for any of my tanks. All my canisters and equipment are left exposed to plain view.
So the Fluval canisters are not only reliable but also pleasing to the eyes. They are also very quiet, so quiet that the only way to know if the unit is working is by looking at the outflow or place your hand on the canister to feel its slight vibration.
I only need to rinse the sponge once evert two months. The Fluval 306 is slightly under-matched for a 75 gallon. I wished I had gone for the 406 or the FX4 instead.
Secondary filter: Fluval C2 HOB filter
I run an additional HOB filter as solely mechanical filtration. I find that the polishing pad in the 306 gets clogged within a month, and thus reducing the maintenance cycle to 1 month instead of 2 or 3 months.
So I added a HOB just for pure mechanical filtration. In it I run with the regular sponge, polishing pad, and Purigen. The Fluval C series HOB is really easy to clean. Most of the time I only need to change the polishing pad. Rinsing the sponge is a 1 minute job.
Having a HOB also helps to create surface agitation and add oxygenated water to the tank. And it doesn’t cost much to add one to a large tank.
24 Gallon
Tank Setup
Filters: 1x Fluval 206
Lighting: Chihiros A-Series
Air pump: Generic
Substrate: Tropica Aquarium Soil
CO2: DIY CO2 with High Pressure Canister
CO2 Injection Rate: 0.5 bps 24 hours non-stop
CO2 Diffusion methods: Intense Bazooka Atomizer 50mm
Dosing regime: Custom Seachem Dosing Regime
Ferts: Seachem Flourish Nitrogen/Potassium/Phosphorous/Iron/Comprehensive
I have re-scaped this tank a few times. It was a disaster initially when my wife insisted on having Goldfishes in it. Then I had a nicely planted HC hills scape which suffered a major BGA outbreaks. And finally the above is its current state.
11 Gallon
This is a difficult tank from the beginning. It is a low profile tank. A lower profile means there is very little depth for the CO2 bubbles to interact with the water before reaching the surface.
Tank Setup
Filters: 1x Fluval C3 HOB
Lighting: Aquael Slim LEDDY
Air pump: Generic
Substrate: ADA Amazonia
CO2: DIY CO2 with High Pressure Canister
CO2 Injection Rate: 0.5 bps 24 hours non-stop
CO2 Diffusion methods: Intense Bazooka Atomizer 40mm
Dosing regime: Custom Seachem Dosing Regime
Ferts: Seachem Flourish Nitrogen/Potassium/Phosphorous/Iron/Comprehensive
Being low profile also means the light intensity is very high. High lights is an algae magnet. The only way to compensate is to blasts your CO2.
16 Gallon
This tank is for my office. It is still work in progress.
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